Hello everyone!!
Here are two selections of literature that I really liked. I hope that everyone enjoys them as much as I do! Some of them give a slight background, so that it makes more sense. Anthony D.
Macbeth - William Shakespeare
Macbeth became king of Scotland after murdering the previous king. He has held the crown through violence and more murder. His wife supported him, then went mad, and he has just learned that she has died. However, he knows that he must shortly fight a battle for his crown, and his life, and he knows that he will lose. These are the reflections of an evil man who realises that he has lost everything.
Macbeth: She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Lord Tennyson
I.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
‘Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!’ he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
II.
‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
III.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
IV.
Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn’d in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder’d:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre-stroke
Shatter’d and sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
V.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
VI.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder’d.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
Good huh? Got to love stuff by Tennyson and Shakespeare! ~T.D.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Troll Sat Alone on His Seat of Stone
Good morning everyone!! Here is a hilarious poem by J.R.R. Tolkien. This time I decided to post in directly on the site, rather than connect a link to it. What does everyone like better?
~Tony D
Troll Sat Alone on His Seat of Stone
Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;
For many a year he had gnawed it near,
For meat was hard to come by.
Done by! Gum by!
In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone,
And meat was hard to come by.
Up came Tom with his big boots on.
Said he to Troll: 'Pray, what is yon?
For it looks like the shin o' my nuncle Tim.
As should be a-lyin' in the graveyard.
Caveyard! Paveyard!
This many a year has Tim been gone,
And I thought he were lyin' in the graveyard.
''My lad,' said Troll, 'this bone I stole.
But what be bones that lie in a hole?
Thy nuncle was dead as a lump o' lead,
Afore I found his shinbone.
Tinbone! Skinbone!
He can spare a share for a poor old troll,
For he don't need his shinbone.
'Said Tom: 'I don't see why the likes o' thee
Without axin' leave should go makin' free
With the shank or the shin o' my father's kin;
So hand the old bone over!
Rover! Trover!
Though dead he be, it belongs to he;
So hand the old bone over!'
'For a couple o' pins,' says Troll, and grins,
'I'll eat thee too, and gnaw thy shins.
A bit o' fresh meat will go down sweet!
I'll try my teeth on thee now.
Hee now! See now!
I'm tired o' gnawing old bones and skins;
I've a mind to dine on thee now.
'But just as he thought his dinner was caught,
He found his hands had hold of naught.
Before he could mind, Tom slipped behind
And gave him the boot to larn him.
Warn him! Darn him!
A bump o' the boot on the seat, Tom thought,
Would be the way to larn him.
But harder than stone is the flesh and bone
Of a troll that sits in the hills alone.
As well set your boot to the mountain's root,
For the seat of a troll don't feel it.
Peel it! Heal it!
Old Troll laughed, when he heard Tom groan,
And he knew his toes could feel it.
Tom's leg is game, since home he came,
And his bootless foot is lasting lame;
But Troll don't care, and he's still there
With the bone he boned from its owner.
Doner! Boner!
Troll's old seat is still the same,
And the bone he boned from its owner!
~ JRR Tolkien
~Tony D
Troll Sat Alone on His Seat of Stone
Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;
For many a year he had gnawed it near,
For meat was hard to come by.
Done by! Gum by!
In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone,
And meat was hard to come by.
Up came Tom with his big boots on.
Said he to Troll: 'Pray, what is yon?
For it looks like the shin o' my nuncle Tim.
As should be a-lyin' in the graveyard.
Caveyard! Paveyard!
This many a year has Tim been gone,
And I thought he were lyin' in the graveyard.
''My lad,' said Troll, 'this bone I stole.
But what be bones that lie in a hole?
Thy nuncle was dead as a lump o' lead,
Afore I found his shinbone.
Tinbone! Skinbone!
He can spare a share for a poor old troll,
For he don't need his shinbone.
'Said Tom: 'I don't see why the likes o' thee
Without axin' leave should go makin' free
With the shank or the shin o' my father's kin;
So hand the old bone over!
Rover! Trover!
Though dead he be, it belongs to he;
So hand the old bone over!'
'For a couple o' pins,' says Troll, and grins,
'I'll eat thee too, and gnaw thy shins.
A bit o' fresh meat will go down sweet!
I'll try my teeth on thee now.
Hee now! See now!
I'm tired o' gnawing old bones and skins;
I've a mind to dine on thee now.
'But just as he thought his dinner was caught,
He found his hands had hold of naught.
Before he could mind, Tom slipped behind
And gave him the boot to larn him.
Warn him! Darn him!
A bump o' the boot on the seat, Tom thought,
Would be the way to larn him.
But harder than stone is the flesh and bone
Of a troll that sits in the hills alone.
As well set your boot to the mountain's root,
For the seat of a troll don't feel it.
Peel it! Heal it!
Old Troll laughed, when he heard Tom groan,
And he knew his toes could feel it.
Tom's leg is game, since home he came,
And his bootless foot is lasting lame;
But Troll don't care, and he's still there
With the bone he boned from its owner.
Doner! Boner!
Troll's old seat is still the same,
And the bone he boned from its owner!
~ JRR Tolkien
Monday, June 1, 2009
Ben Jonson: To... William Shakespeare
This is a cool poem about William Shakespeare that I thought would give everyone something to look at. ~T.D.
Click here --> Ben Jonson: To... William Shakespeare
Click here --> Ben Jonson: To... William Shakespeare
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Call of the Wild
Hello everyone!
I read The Call of the Wild, by Jack London for school last year, and I remember that I absolutely hated it. After skimming it, and reading an in-depth synopsis, I can perfectly recall why. Set during the 19th century Klondike Gold Rushes the main character, a dog, named Buck, is the pet of a well-to-do judge from Santa Clara, CA, who allows him anything. Later, he is "dognapped" and forced to become a sled dog for some cruel, greedy men who are planning to mine for gold in Alaska. Finally, he is rescued by a kind owner. This story doesn't sound so bad, does it? Wrong. His kind owner is killed, Buck goes literally berserk and becomes the savage leader of a wolf pack. That is pretty brief, but considering the storyline, there really is not much to write about. I found this book extremely boring and had entirely too much detail about everything. The men are extremely cruel and the book hardly lets go of gloom. I would not suggest this book to anyone. Animal lovers would freak out and probably never read a Jack London book again. Romantics would give up two chapters in, and even adventure people would say that this has a poor storyline. (I won't go in to science geeks...) If you need more specific reasons, then ask in a comment, and I will do my best to explain! Of course, this is my own opinion, and I hope to hear other people's thoughts. I would not give up entirely on Jack London, however, because he has written some fine stories. Thanks for listening!
~ Tony Dewhurst
1/5 Recommended
I read The Call of the Wild, by Jack London for school last year, and I remember that I absolutely hated it. After skimming it, and reading an in-depth synopsis, I can perfectly recall why. Set during the 19th century Klondike Gold Rushes the main character, a dog, named Buck, is the pet of a well-to-do judge from Santa Clara, CA, who allows him anything. Later, he is "dognapped" and forced to become a sled dog for some cruel, greedy men who are planning to mine for gold in Alaska. Finally, he is rescued by a kind owner. This story doesn't sound so bad, does it? Wrong. His kind owner is killed, Buck goes literally berserk and becomes the savage leader of a wolf pack. That is pretty brief, but considering the storyline, there really is not much to write about. I found this book extremely boring and had entirely too much detail about everything. The men are extremely cruel and the book hardly lets go of gloom. I would not suggest this book to anyone. Animal lovers would freak out and probably never read a Jack London book again. Romantics would give up two chapters in, and even adventure people would say that this has a poor storyline. (I won't go in to science geeks...) If you need more specific reasons, then ask in a comment, and I will do my best to explain! Of course, this is my own opinion, and I hope to hear other people's thoughts. I would not give up entirely on Jack London, however, because he has written some fine stories. Thanks for listening!
~ Tony Dewhurst
1/5 Recommended
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Tempest by Shakespeare
Hey guys,
I read the comedic play, The Tempest (W. Shakespeare) a while ago.
It's been rather difficult for me to decide whether I liked it or not. In the end, I would probably say, comparing it the other Shakespearean plays I've read, "just OK." This is partly because I'm not a huge fan of Shakespearean comedies in general and also because it was queer. It was unlike the other Shakes plays I've read. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but some people say the reason he wrote The Tempest was because his friends dared him to try something new and different. So some say he wrote it to prove he had the ability to write fantasy. Whether this is true or not, I did notice a slight difference of style in this play. That's not a bad thing; it was just something I noticed.
The story line wasn't all that attractive to me. It's basically about a sorcerer who tries to avenge his enemies who arose a tempest in order to banish him. Some of the characters are sprites and jolly fairies that make the storyline more playful. It was funny, amusing, and playful, and I consider it good literature, but it didn't amaze me.
I'm anxious to see what everyone's opinions are on this one. I rate it #2.
By the way, I'm sorry all I've done so far is Shakespeare. Next time I will write about a book on the book list, and it won't be another Shakespeare. Thanks, amigos!
I read the comedic play, The Tempest (W. Shakespeare) a while ago.
It's been rather difficult for me to decide whether I liked it or not. In the end, I would probably say, comparing it the other Shakespearean plays I've read, "just OK." This is partly because I'm not a huge fan of Shakespearean comedies in general and also because it was queer. It was unlike the other Shakes plays I've read. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but some people say the reason he wrote The Tempest was because his friends dared him to try something new and different. So some say he wrote it to prove he had the ability to write fantasy. Whether this is true or not, I did notice a slight difference of style in this play. That's not a bad thing; it was just something I noticed.
The story line wasn't all that attractive to me. It's basically about a sorcerer who tries to avenge his enemies who arose a tempest in order to banish him. Some of the characters are sprites and jolly fairies that make the storyline more playful. It was funny, amusing, and playful, and I consider it good literature, but it didn't amaze me.
I'm anxious to see what everyone's opinions are on this one. I rate it #2.
By the way, I'm sorry all I've done so far is Shakespeare. Next time I will write about a book on the book list, and it won't be another Shakespeare. Thanks, amigos!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Treasure Island
Hey People,
I recently read for the first time Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Honestly I loved it! Since this is a pretty well known book I won't give any background. I thought that the storyline was well thought out and beautifully articulated from beginning to end. He did an excellent job at grabbing your attention early on in the story and holding it there until the last page.The whole story is action packed and a real thriller. There were parts in the book that made my blood run cold, it was that good! It was creepy in parts, yet not so bad that you didn't want to read it anymore. Despite the previously stated points , there was enough humor throughout the book to keep it from getting depressing. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was that the language was much easier to understand than many other books I have read by Stevenson. I guess there weren't many things that I didn't like about the book, I was pretty well satisfied all the way around. Well thanks for listening to me gab.
$x Dodge x$
4/5 recommended
I recently read for the first time Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Honestly I loved it! Since this is a pretty well known book I won't give any background. I thought that the storyline was well thought out and beautifully articulated from beginning to end. He did an excellent job at grabbing your attention early on in the story and holding it there until the last page.The whole story is action packed and a real thriller. There were parts in the book that made my blood run cold, it was that good! It was creepy in parts, yet not so bad that you didn't want to read it anymore. Despite the previously stated points , there was enough humor throughout the book to keep it from getting depressing. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was that the language was much easier to understand than many other books I have read by Stevenson. I guess there weren't many things that I didn't like about the book, I was pretty well satisfied all the way around. Well thanks for listening to me gab.
$x Dodge x$
4/5 recommended
Friday, May 1, 2009
List of Suggested Books and Who's Turn it Is
Ok guys, here is the list of recommended books for you to review, proposed by Dewhurst and edited extensively by me.
The Hobbit, Tolkien
The Cricket on the Hearth, Dickens
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Verne
Thank You, Jeeves, Wodehouse
Treasure Island, Stevenson
Captains Courageous, Kipling
Roughing It, Twain
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare
Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery
Jane Eyre, Bronte
The Man Who was Thursday, Chesterton
Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis
The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde
The Spectre Bridegroom, Irving
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy
The Call of the Wild, London
Ok, here is the order in which we will tentatively go:
Artful Dodger
Laura
Lady Arwen
Lord Anthony Dewhurst
Me
And if anyone else joins the blog, they can go to the back of the line. Start reading a book ahead of time so that you're ready to go when it's your turn.
-Tini
The Hobbit, Tolkien
The Cricket on the Hearth, Dickens
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Verne
Thank You, Jeeves, Wodehouse
Treasure Island, Stevenson
Captains Courageous, Kipling
Roughing It, Twain
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare
Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery
Jane Eyre, Bronte
The Man Who was Thursday, Chesterton
Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis
The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde
The Spectre Bridegroom, Irving
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy
The Call of the Wild, London
Ok, here is the order in which we will tentatively go:
Artful Dodger
Laura
Lady Arwen
Lord Anthony Dewhurst
Me
And if anyone else joins the blog, they can go to the back of the line. Start reading a book ahead of time so that you're ready to go when it's your turn.
-Tini
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